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Roe V. Wade and Where Do We Go From Here?
Apparently leaked documents seem to indicate that Roe V. Wade will be overturned in the Supreme Court and the fight will be brought back to the States — which most constitutional scholars agree (whether or not they support abortion) should have been the case, all along. So where do we go from here? If this leaked document does in fact indicate the final decision that will be coming this summer, what should we be doing to prepare for it? Politically, we already see various groups working in their states to amend constitutions to allow for abortion for all 9 months, for any reason — some political leaders (for example, Ralph…
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The Future Isn’t “Female”. The Future Isn’t “Male”. The Future is Family and It Always Has Been.
There is a dangerous CULT OF SELF that seems to be growing, and it sees the other as the “enemy”. We see it in slogans that try to pin men and women against each other. Slogans like “the future is female” or “toxic masculinity” or movements that want to downgrade the importance of FATHERS in the home or attack women who CHOOSE to stay home — frankly they’re not solving any problems. They are only making THEM WORSE! Because here’s the thing: we can never find fulfillment in the pursuit of SELF and the CANCELING of others . The pursuit of SELF LEADS TO SELFISHNESS, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO COMPLETE…
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Wisdom from Mother Teresa For the Times We Live in
I had plans for a different post, but so much life going on right now that I thought I would move my “the importance of the family meal” to next week and share a few words from one of my favorite modern-day Saints, Mother Teresa. Hard to believe that 4 years ago today, I sat in St. Peters Square — baking in the hot Italian sun — 6 kids in tow and watched one of my real-life heroes get canonized. On that day, we each seemed to receive a special grace, unique to our individual temperaments and personalities. It was such a beautiful day, and one we won’t soon forget.…
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Thirsting For Lent
Whether or not we know it, we are all thirsting for Christ. Even more amazing is that — despite our sinfulness or brokenness — Christ is thirsting for us, too. This photo below was taken in 2016 at the Canonization of Mother Teresa. I guess you could say she’s one of my heroes. Perhaps more than anybody else in recent years, Mother Teresa recognized that thirst in all of us. She recognized it, because she felt it more keenly than most. In every chapel of every convent that Mother Teresa established, she wrote 2 words over the main crucifix: “I thirst”. They were some of the last words Jesus spoke…
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Travel Posts To Get You Going
Hey guys, thank goodness summer is not over yet! Here is to hoping you are making the most of your last days of summer — I know I am trying to. I am getting ready for our own family adventure, so I figured I’d share some of my favorite family travel posts from the past 3 years. Hopefully, they will inspire you to start planning your own crazy family adventures. Without further ado, let’s get to it! This one is an honest and light-hearted look at the 7 Do’s and Don’ts of Family Travel. I’ve made lots of mistakes along the way, so hoping this will help the next guy…
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Pilgrim Toes, Thirst, and the Canonization of Mother Teresa
The weekend of Mother Teresa’s canonization began quite peacefully. The Romans were slowly returning home from their month-long summer break — boy do they know how to live — and the crowds in Rome were smaller than we had expected. There was a part of me that wondered how the Italians were going to pull off a huge ordeal like a canonization when they were so sluggishly returning to their routines. It seems people were avoiding St. Peter’s because they feared the crowds — that was a big win for us! Thank you Jesus for smaller lines at St. Peter’s and easier access to good food and gelato — I don’t think this tired…
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7 Quick Takes: The Do’s and Don’ts of Family Travel
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ~Charles Dickens~ I just returned from a two week family pilgrimage to Italy, and on the morning of my return, I woke up thinking, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” — though Dickens was actually writing about the French Revolution, his words perfectly encapsulate our family trip– it was truly the best and worst of times. But it was worth it! If you find yourself traveling with one child, or multiple children, I guarantee you will find yourself thinking and saying things that definitely aren’t your best thoughts and words — but you will…
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Mother Teresa on Starting at Home
This is the last post in a series leading up to the canonization of Mother Teresa. I hope you have enjoyed it. As this is posting, my husband, six kids, and I will be roaming the streets of Rome trying to find the office to pick up our tickets for the canonization of Mother Teresa! My husband and I are most likely lost and arguing about the best route to our destination, while avoiding data roaming charges on our cell phones –that’s the reality of family pilgrimages, people! Yes, if all has gone well, we have made it to Rome and are looking forward to this amazing woman officially being known as St. Teresa of…
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Mother Teresa on Smiling
Mother Teresa’s canonization is just over one week away! Here’s a favorite quote of mine because it’s a quick way to make a big difference in the world — and anybody can do it! Short but sweet! Let’s get smiling, people! “We can never know how much good a simple smile can do.” ~Mother Teresa~
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Mother Teresa on Finding Calcutta
Mother Teresa’s Canonization is just over 2 weeks away! Part of a series of her amazing quotes — Enjoy! Mother Teresa on finding Calcutta: “You will find Calcutta all over the world if you have eyes to see. The streets of Calcutta lead to every man’s door. I know that you may want to make a trip to Calcutta, but it is easy to love people far away. It is not always easy to love those people who live beside us. What about the ones I dislike or look down upon?” ~Mother Teresa~
